1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an apparatus for fixing the spine, and particularly to a spine fixing apparatus for fixing an unstable spine, caused by a fracture or a disease, to be properly collaborated together such that the spine can recover its stable state.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The spine provides a fundamental strength to support a human body, and when the spine is unstable caused by a fracture or a disease, it should be fixed. In order to fix the spine, there have been some methods which employ a unique supporting member or fix the spine integrally with use of screws.
In the method fixing the spine integrally, the screws are combined with the spine at a certain distance and a rod is provided to connect the screws longitudinally. In addition, a pushing plate is mounted on the screw such that the screw can be combined with the rod by pushing the pushing plate. For connecting the rod, a connecting member can also be installed between the rods.
The screw includes a screwing portion combined with the spine and a head portion combined with the rod. Between the screwing portion and the head portion, a neck is formed.
Accordingly, in the conventional spine fixing apparatus, the screw is integrally combined with the rod, and the rods are also integrally connected with use of the connecting member therebetween. In addition, in order to press and connect the rod toward the screw, the pushing plate is separated from the connecting member.
However, the conventional spine fixing apparatus is not sufficient to properly fix the spine because the connecting member cannot adjust its direction as desired.
In addition, the conventional spine fixing apparatus has a disadvantage in that the connecting member cannot adjust its connecting width in order to modify a distance between the rods.
Moreover, in the screw employed in the conventional spine fixing apparatus, the neck has smaller diameter than the head portion, resulting that the neck can be easily broken.